Air conditioning apparatus



Jan. 10, 1939. E. s. LEA 2,143,628

AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 26, 1935 4 Sheets-Shget l INVENTOR E wafafiibea BY W, vk'vv4f ATTORNEYS Jan. 10, 1939. E. s. LEA

' AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 26, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 NONQHOW P MNN. v

4M0 v M ATTORNEYS a Jan. 10, 1939. E. s. LEA

AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 26, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR .E'dwafld 43 0,

- 09%., aw w {M4 1 (Wm ATTORNEYS Jan. 10, 1939. E, 5 LEA 2,143,628

AIR CONDITIONING APPARA US Filed Aug. 26, 1935 r 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR Edward 15*. Lea

BY 09W, 194 4414. y ATTCRNEYS Patented Jan. I939 PATENT OFFICE CONDITIONING APPARATUS Edward S. Lea, Morrisville, Pa., assignor, by

mesne assignments, to George New York, N. Y.

Application August 26,

12 Claims.

' and removal of odors and entrained solids and to permit optional humidification without heating or cooling, when such humidification is desired.

A feature of the invention is the division of the air to be conditioned, into two streams, the thorough humidification and washing'of one of these streams, with or without humidification of the other, and then the commingling of the streams and the heating of the body of air leaving the conditioner apparatus. Where intensive dehumidification is required the flow of one air stream may be blocked and the other air stream intensely refrigerated and washed and subsequently supercooled.

Considered from another aspect the invention is concerned with an improved conditioning apparatus in the form of an all-purpose conditioning unit, suitable for large or small installations and of extremely compact construction, involving a minimum number of parts likely to get out of order and requiring little or no attention in use and involving no complex control mechanism, and of simple, rugged, durable,'inexpensive construction.

A feature of the invention is the use of a conditioning apparatus having a pair of air circulating fans, one of which is adapted to draw air through a humidifying and washing chamber and the other of which is adapted to draw air directly from any suitable source and commingle it with the washed and humidified air.

Preferably the two'fans are of the sirocco type having a common dividing plate between them and the air drawn by both fans is forced violently through a volute discharge chamber where excess moisture in the humidified stream is precipitated out and where thorough commingling of the two streams occurs. Refrigerating means may be employed in the humidifying chamber to cool the Wash water and selectively operable heating means may be employed at or beyond the outlet of the unit to heat'the humidified stream of air for winter use.

Where refrigerating apparatus is used to cool the wash water for purposes of dehumidification and cooling of the air in the summer time, I pref- Von Seebeck,

1935, Serial No. 37,847

the air leaving the machine but warms up the refrigerant to such an extent that the return refrigerant line of the compressor does notbecome frosted and the compressor may be disposed at any desired distance from the-air conditioning unit proper without danger of constant drip of melting ice from the refrigerant return pipe.

The invention is likewise concerned with the provision of an'extremely simple construction and arrangement of casing upon which the motor is mounted 'within which the volute discharge passageway is enclosed, this casing having removably associated with the lower end thereof, a tank of wash water, preferably cooled by a refrigerant coil suspended from the 'casing itself so that the tank may be lowered and the refrigerating coil cleaned whenever such cleaning is desirable. Preferably a single vertically disposed shaft operated by the motor carries the two fans and the lower end of this shaft carries centrifugal pumps or cone type slingers which create the necessary wash water spray in the region of the tank and which may likewise project smaller amounts of water into the fans themselves where the water becomes broken up to create a humidifying mist. Adequate air inlets guarded by suitable filters are provided for the two streams of air, one of which travels directly to the upper fan and the other of which is drawn through the sprays and thence through the lower fan and thrown with the substantially unconditioned stream into the volute outlet.

Power required for operating'the unit is but slight and the conditioning of very substantial volumes of air per unitof time is efiiciently accomplished; A feature of the machine is the particular arrangement of spray producing means and spray baffling means which insures flow of the air to be humidified or dehumidified substantially radially counter-current to the spray water and causes this air to traverse wet surfaces substantially from the time it enters themachine until it has nearly reached the exit of the volute outlet. In other words maximum intimacy of contact between the spray water and the air is assured and maximum evaporative cooling effectis obtained.

The present invention represents very substantial refinements and improvements of structure over the apparatus disclosed in my copending application Serial No. 755,916, filed December 4, 1934 (issued as U. S. Patent 2,079,574, on May 4,

The invention may be more fully understood from the following-description in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. l is a vertical sectional view through an air conditioning apparatus embodying the invention,

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof,

Figs. 3, 4 and are sectional plan views on the lines 33, @--4 and 5--5 respectively of Fig. 1, F

Fig. 6 is a view mainly in'vertical section but showing the slingers in elevation and illustrating the direction of travel and general action of the spray water and the water which forms the humidifying mist.

Fig. '7 is a sectional detail taken approximately on the line il of Fig. 10,

Figs. 8 and 9 are sectional details taken approximately on the lines 8-8 and 9--9 of Fig. l, and

Fig. 10. is a perspective view of an air conditioning unit constructed in accordance with the invention.

Referring with more particularity to the drawings, and particularly to Figs. 1 and 10 thereof, the reference numeral l2 indicates a supporting frame for the casing of the machine, this frame being preferably formed of steel angle members and being closed at three sides, if desired, by sheet metal side plates l3. An approximately rectangular lower casing section it is supported on horizontal bars l5 constituting part of the frame l2, the support means preferably comprising brackets l6 fixed to the casing section it and carrying rubber cushion feet I! which rest upon the frame bars IS.

A window I8 in the casing section it permits visual observation of the 7 action of the spray water. The lower end of the casing section M extends within an insulated tank iii-resting upon a secondaryeframe located within the frame l2. Suspended within the tank from suitable brackets 2! carried by the casing section I5, is a refrigerating coil 22, this coil having an inlet header 23 and an outlet header 26.- A suitable volatile refrigerant is adapted to be supplied from the condenser of a standard refrigerating system to the pipe coil 22 and I have illustratively shown a refrigerant line 25 adapted to deliver refrigerant from a condenser to the header 23. The refrigerating apparatus has been illustrated only diagrammatically by showing part of the compressor 26.

The lower casing section it in addition to carrying the weight of the refrigerating coil, preferably also mounts a water supply pipe 2! through which,water is supplied to the tank 19. Preferably the admission of water to the tankis controlled by a float valve and water overflows from the tank through an overflow pipe 3|. The generally rectangular sheet metal casing section I4 also sustains the weight of an upper casing section 32 likewise of generally rectangular shape and provided at its lower edge with a generally inverted V-shaped rim 33 which rests directly upon the top of the casing section l4. Casing section 32 is provided with a pair of air inlets 34 and 35 adjacent the upper end thereof, each of these inlets being guarded by removable filters 36. Arranged adjacent the upper end of the casing section 32, is a horizontally disposed approximately doubly volute separator chamber 31, this chamber being defined by top plate 380, bottom plate 38 and a spiral partition forming member 39, the latter being most clearly seen in Fig. 4. Mounted centrally of this chamber is a double sirocco fan comprising an upper fan element 40 and a lower fan element M, the two fans being separated by a common horizontal partition plate 42, and the entire double fan unit being secured by a hub 43 on a vertically disposed driving shaft 8 5, the latter mounted upon a thrust bearing 35, arranged in the lower end of a hollow sleeve $6. This sleeve, which is adapted to be filled with lubricant, is pendant from a relatively massive plate M which covers an opening 448 in the top of the casing section M and rests at its edges on a suitable cushioning gasket i9. Plate at near its periphery carries a block in which an electric motor 5! 1S adjustably mounted, that is to say, the motor is adjustable on its block toward or away from the center of the plate. The drive for the shaft Mi is through an endless flexible device 52 which connects a pulley 53 on the pendant motor shaft with a pulley 5 3 on the extended reduced upper end 55 of the shaft dd. To vary the speed of the shaft it, motor 5i may be adjusted inwardly or outwardly on its support block 50 and pulleys of different sizes substituted for the pu1ley'53.

Air entering the machine through the inlet all passes through a set of dampers 56, flows between the top of the casing section 32 and the top plate 38a of the volute conduit and is drawn downwardly into the upper fan through a tapered inlet duct or channel 5?. Air from the inlet 35 flows downwardly under the volute conduit and after being subjected to a violent rain water spray as will be later described, is drawn upwardly into the lower fan 4i through an inverted, generally conical duct 58.

Arranged centrally of the tank' I9 is a well 60, the top of whichis disposed above the normal water level in the tank. Water flows into the lower end of this well through-a valve 5| controlled bya push rod 62.

As best seen in-Fig. 9, the valve 6! constitutes the fiat surface of one end of a lever 63, fulcrumed intermediate its ends on a pin 64. The valve serves to close the opening through which water is admitted to the well but preferably does not efiect a tight seal, to the end that some slight amount of water may always leak into the well for purposes which will be more fully'hereinafter described. The push rod 62 engages that end of the lever remote from the valve end thereof and may be operated by any suitable the lower end of the fan section M and is preferably provided with a flange 10 welded or otherwise secured against the common partition plate 42 between the two fan sections.

Within the lower fan section M the slinger is provided with a plurality of openings H through which water rising in the cone is projected later ally into the blades of the fan section 4| and thoroughly broken up by these blades to afford an atomized mist. Inasmuch as it is usually desirable to also humidity the air stream by the upper fan section 40, some of the water rising along the conical wall of the slinger 68 escapes through the partition plate 42 into tubes 12 extending above this partition plate and serving to 2,14ae2e project water against the blades of the upper fan section Ml.

A second cone type slinger 113 has its lower end terminating slightly above the lower end of the slinger M. This cone'at its upper end flares into substantially disk-like formation and cooperates with a superimposed bailie plate W to provide a restricted annular space through which water lifted by the cone or slinger i3 is projected laterally. Tie bars l5 connect the baffle it and the cone l3 and reference may be had to my copending application, above identified, for a detailed disclosure of the means for mounting and connecting any suitable number of slingers together.

The heavy spray thrown radially by the lower pumping cone or slinger l3 first strikes arelatively narrow and relatively fine mesh annular screen it which encircles the slinger closely adjacent the edge thereof, this screen being supported by hanger brackets if from the lower wall 38 of the volute passageway 31?.

Disposed radially outwardly beyond the screen i6 is a second screen 18, considerably deeper than the first screen and preferably of slightly coarser mesh, this screen likewise being secured to the lower wall of the volute chamber. As best seen in Fig. 5, the outer screen is not completely circular but is. provided with a cut-out portion at it. This cut-out in the screen is at the side of the screen remote from the side at which air enters the spray chamber so that air which has travelled around the screen to the opening can flow without further substantial resistance, in-

wardly and upwardly through the spray to the fan.

Preferably, baffles it are provided within the well Bil to prevent undue cavitation of the well water by the rapidly rotating cones or slingers.

After the volatile refrigerant is passed through the coils 22, it is led through a pipe into a heat exchanger 8! disposed in the volute outlet passageway near the outlet end thereof and extending substantially across the full width of said passageway. From the heat exchanger the refrigerant gases are drawn through a pipe Bia back to the compressor 26, the refrigerant gas being suificiently warm so that the return pipe does not frost. Unlike any other coil type exchanger with which I am familiar, the sweating exchanger M is contacted only by'washed air and no deposit of dirt or slime can form thereon.

The cooled and humidified air leaving the volute outlet preferably passes into a duct section Bil from whence it is conveyed to any suitable-point of distribution. Preferably for winter use a heating coil 9|] is arranged in this duct section, it being understood that in normal summer operation no fluid passes through this heating coil and in normal winter operation the refrigerating system is idle.

Before describing the various methods of operation of this unit certain structural details are Worthy of comment. In assembling the device the tank and well and valve are assembled as a unit on the support frame Zll. The lower casing section M carrying 'the refrigerating coils, refrigerant connections and water connection is then placed on the frame H, the lower end of this casing section depending into the bath in the tank. The upper casing section may then be emplaced, this section including the volute outlet conduit, the screens carried by this conduit, the air inlet filters, and the heat exchanger. This section likewise mounts the support plate 41 which carries the motor, the drivthence to their point of use.

ing mechanism and the shaft 64 upon which the fans and slingers are mounted. The air inlet 36. with its guarding filter and with the dampers 56 may be conveniently formed in a casing section 92 (Figs. 1 and 10) bodily removable from the main upper casing section 32. The outlet duct is likewise bodily removable from this upper casing section.

The brackets illustrated in Fig. 8 for supporting a refrigerating coil are merely typical of various types of brackets which may be used for this purpose. Whenever it proves desirable to do so, not only the tank but the casing sections it and 32 may be insulated, this being particularly desirable where the cooled, dehumidified air is to be used only at a point remote from the unit and where too great an absorption of heat from the air immediately surrounding the unit is undesirable. By having part of the refrigerating coil disposed above the water level in the tank not only is falling spray water cooled but a part of the air passing through is cooled by direct contact with a continuously washed coil which can never become dirty.

In winter operation of the device, no refrigeration is required and preferably both air inlets are open.

The lower slinger 13 drawing water from the tank projects it violently through the inner screen 1621s illustrated in Fig. 6, some of the water running down the inner side of this screen and dripping back into the tank to form an inside water curtain. The spray starts to spread fanwise be- I tween the twoscreens and as it passes through the outer screen 13 it expands into a still wider The second fan-shaped vertical cross section. curtain of water, of course, drips from the outer screen back into the tank. The air in order to reach the lower fan ll must pass through the whirling fan-shaped spray exteriorly of the outer screen through one or both of the curtains of water dripping from the screen and through the still more violent or still more concentrated portion of the spray between the screens or between the slinger l3 and the inner screen. This stream of air passing through the sprays is thus very thoroughly washed and brought into very intimate contact with the spray water. The slinger 61 in tube 12 delivers smaller quantities of water into the two fans MI and M and the blades of these rapidly rotating fan members finely atomize this water to create a substantially mist filled region at or just beyond the fans. Thus thorough humidification of all air passing through the fans is assured in this mist filled region and beyond the region of mist the air is whirled violently through the volute outlet conduit to centrifugally separate out any excess entrained moisture.

Fig. 4 illustrates somewhat diagrammatically the extent to which the air stream passes through the volute conduit before all excess moisture is centrifugally eliminated therefrom. Any remaining entrained solids, particularly solids which have filled the air stream in the upper fan are likewise precipitated on the wetted surface of the volute and the humidified commingled air streams pass into the duct 90, flowing in heat exchange relationship with the heater 9| and For purposes of summer cooling the dampers 56 are usually closed and the volume of air conditioned is approximately halved. In this case the rain water sprays are refrigerated so that the dew point of the air passing through these sprays is reduced and excess humidity precipitated out in the sprays. The

cold mist however, inthe region of the fan insures substantially one hundred percent humidi-' fication of the cold air for any-given temperature at which said air reaches the fan, although the presence of the heat exchanger in the outlet of the volute conduit may further reduce the dew point and lower the temperature of the air.

If the push rod 62 is thermostatically controlled so that it permits closing of the valve 6! when the temperature of the room has been reduced to the desired extent, substantially no further refrigeration will occur although there will still be sufficient leak of water through the valve M to supply the slinger 67 and thereby continue to effect humidification although very slightly cooling the air passing through the apparatus. Water will flow into the well only at a suflicient rate so that it will be all used up by the slinger 61 and there will be no water available in the slinger i3.

The violent rain water spray of course imparts a swirling motion to the water in the tank due to' the angle at which it strikes the bath of water in the tank and facilitates the circulation of this water over the refrigerated coils. The use of the well prevents this swirl from being communicated to the water in the well and the use of the baffies inthe well prevents undue cavitation of the well water which would prevent elevation of the necessary water to produce the rain water spray and the humidifying mist.

It will be apparent that the frame 20 may be removed andthe tank I9 dropped whenever sediment is to be removed from this tank or whenever the refrigerating coil is to be cleaned.

Access-may be readily had to the heat exchanger vill by removing the duct section 90.

In Fig. 5 I have illustrated somewhat diagrammatically, the manner in which the air flows. substantially radially counter-current to the various sprays and the water curtain into the lower fan. The screens are of such size and of such mesh and the sprays of such violence and the curtains of the water so predeterminedthat they impose a substantially uniform resistance to the flow of It will be seen from the foregoing description that I have provided an air conditioning unit of all year round utility and which requires but a minimum of attention.

The use of the upperfan to create a mist is of course optional and the tubes 72 may be omitted if required by the trade. Likewise it may be found desirable to eliminate either the inside or outside screen in certain types of industrial work. Where abnormal air conditions are to be maintained in certain types of plants, the air may be preheated or otherwise pretreated by any suitable means before it is taken into the machine for finaltreatment.

It will thus be seen that there is herein described an apparatus in which the several fea tures of the invention are embodied and which.

in its action attains the various objects of the invention and is well suited to meet the requirements of practical use.

As many changes could be made in the above apparatus and many apparently widely difierent embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1, Air conditioning apparatus including a casing having a pair of air inlets therein and a common air outlet therein, a convolute chamber through which air from both of said inlets passes to said outlet, a pair of fans disposed centrally of said convolute chamber, and a water spraying means disposed below said fans, one of said fans drawing air from one inlet through the spray chamber into said convolute passageway and the other fan drawing air directly from the other inlet into the convolute chamber.

2. Air conditioning apparatus including a casing having a pair of air inlets therein and a common air outlet therein, a convolute chamber through which air from both of said inlets passes to said outlet, a pair of fans disposed centrally of said convolute chamber, a water spraying means disposed below said fans, one of said fans drawing air from one inlet through the spray chamber into said convolute passageway and the other fan drawing air directly from the other inlet into the convolute chamber, and means for creating a humidifying mist at the region of the fans.

3. Air conditioning apparatus including a casing having a pair of air inlets therein and a com mon air outlet therein, a convolute chamber common air outlet therein, a convolute chamber through which air from both of said inlets passes to said outlet, a pair of fans disposed one above the other centrally of said convolute chamber, a water spraying slinger disposed below said fans,

one of said fans drawing air through the spray into said convolute passageway and the other a fan drawing air directly from the other inlet into the convolute chamber, and other slinger means for projecting water into both fans to create a humidifying mist at the region of the fans.

5. Air conditioning apparatus including a casing having a pair of air inlets therein and a common air outlet therein, a chamber through which air from both of said inlets passes to said outlet, a pair of fans discharging into said chamber, and a water spraying means disposed below said fans, one of said fans drawing air from one inlet through the spray chamber and the other fan drawing air directly from the other inlet,

said fans being of the sirocco type arranged one above the other and having a common dividing plate. a

6. Air conditioning apparatus including a casing having a pair of air inlets therein and a common air outlettherein, a chamber through which air from both of said inlets passes to said outlet,

livering relatively minute quantities of water to slinger also carried by said shaft and dipping into a pair of fans discharging into said chamber, a with the other fan through the spray chamber water spraying. means disposed below said fans, and means for'elevating relatively minute' quanone of said fans drawing air from one inlet tities of water and delivering it into the fans. through the spray chamber and the other fan 10. In an air' conditioning apparatus, a casing drawing air directly from the other inlet, said and a bath of refrigerated water at the lower end fans being of the sirocco type arranged one thereof, a mounting plate closing an opening in above the other and having a common dividing the top of the casing, a rotatable shaft pendant plate, and a second water spraying means for defrom said plate, a. fan carried by the shaft, a

the interior of the fans to be broken up as a the water and adapted tospray water, an air humidifying mist-by the fans inlet in said casing from which air is drawn 7. In an air conditioning apparatus, a casing through the sprays by the fan, a volute outlet in including two sections mounted one upon the said easing into which air is blown by the fan, other, a tank into which the edge of the lower the lower portion. of said volute outlet carrying casing extends, means carried by said lower casa pair of concentrically disposed screens through ing section for supplying water to the tank, said which water from the slinger is thrown into the upper casing section having an air inlet therein path of the air stream. and an air outlet therein and means mounted 11. In an airconditioning apparatus, a casing on said upper casing section for elevating water and a bath of refrigerated water at the lower from the tank and spraying it into the air stream end thereof, a mounting plate closing an opening passing through the casing, a refrigerating coil in the top of the casing, a rotatable shaft pendant for the tank water carried by said lower casing from said plate, a fan carried by the shaft, a section. slinger also carried by said shaft and dipping 8. In an air conditioning apparatus, a casing into the water, an air inlet in said casing from includ tWO Se o mo e one 11 he which air is drawn through the sprays by the fan, 5 Other, a tank into whieh'flie e f he we 'a volute outlet in said casing into which air is casing s, a s carried by said lower casblown by the fan, the lower portion of said volute ing section for supplying water to the tank, said outlet carrying a pair of concentrically disposed pp easing c n avi an air e th ein screens through which water from the slinger is i and an air outlet therein and means mounted thrust into the path of the air,'the inner screen on said upper casing section for elevating water being disposed close to the periphery of the from the tank and spraying it into the air stream "slinger and of finer mesh than the outer screen. passing through the casing, a refrigerating coil 12. In an air conditioning apparatus, a casing or t e ta wa e c d by a d lower casing and a bath of refrigerated water at the lower section, a fan disposed in the upper casing secend thereof, a mounting plate closing an'open- "one of which communicates directly with one of super-cool the air leavingthe volute.

tion and a super-cooler arranged between the ing in the top of the casing, a rotatable shaft a a d e u et a d through Which igeh pendant from said, plate, a fan carried by the ant flows after leaving the cooling coil for the shaft, a slinger also carried by said shaft and tank. dipping into the water,an air inlet in said casing In all air conditioning pp ra sfl a casi g from which air-is drawn through the sprays by 40 an a wa er t nk an ed at the l wer end of the tan, a volute outlet in said easing into which said casing, a shaft pendant from the top of said air is blown by the fan, a refrigerating coil for easing, water elevating and spraying means carcooling the spray water and a heat exchanger in ed y the Shaft, 8 Pai f ans ed by t e "series with said coil and disposed in the volute shaft, 9. volute outlet passageway into which air outlet passageway and through which refrigerant is blown by the fans, a pair of inlet passageways, from the water cooling coil flows, whereby to the fans and the other 91 which communicates EDWARDS. LEA, 

